BACOLOD City – A 45-year-old man was arrested after he was allegedly caught cutting electrical wires at a Catholic church in Barangay Poblacion, Valladolid, Negros Occidental, on October 28.
Police identified the suspect as alias “Cris,” a married resident of Barangay Banago, Bacolod City.
According to the Valladolid Municipal Police Station, the incident occurred at around 9:50 p.m. at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, where the suspect was allegedly caught cutting electrical wires.
An altar server, identified as alias “Lenard,” 32, reported the incident to police.
Responding mobile patrol officers proceeded to the area and found that church personnel had already apprehended the suspect.
During a body search conducted in the presence of a barangay official, police recovered a sachet containing a white crystalline substance suspected to be shabu, weighing approximately one gram and valued at P6,800.
Authorities also seized a blue coin purse, a blue backpack, a pair of cutting pliers, a bundle of electrical wires and a bundle of copper wires.
The suspect was arrested for alleged violation of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, in connection with the suspected illegal drugs recovered from him. He was also implicated in the reported malicious mischief incident.
The suspected illegal drugs will be submitted to the Negros Occidental Provincial Forensic Unit for laboratory examination.
The suspect remains in police custody pending proper disposition of the case./PN
